Hedge trimmer or the like



March 11,1924. 1,486,140 J..J.HICI EY i HEDGE TRIMMER OR THE LIKE- Filed may 21. '1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 11 1924.

J. J. HICKEY HEDGE TRIMMER OR'THE LIKE Filed May 21. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gwuento 'o the motor.

Patented Mar. 11, 1924.

UNITED res 1,4sa14a Prsar Er ca.

HEDGE TRIMMER OR THE LIKE. 7

Application filed May 21,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN J. HIQKEY, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Washington, District of Columbia, have in,- vented certain new and useful Improvements in Hedge Trimmers or the like, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to hedge trimmers, or the like, and has asan object the provision of a motor which may be carried by the person of the user and receive its power from a foot operated device, and which may be used for trimming hedges, clipping animals, polishing metal work, or the like.

Illustrative embodiments of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig.1 is a perspective view of the device as carried by the user.

Fig. 2 is a central vertical section through Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the motor.

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4, 4 of Fig. 5, and

Fig. 5 is a central vertical section showing amodified form of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a detail, showing the inner side of the housing.

As shown, the motor is adapted to be mounted upon a board orv plate 10 and to be supported by a shoulder strap 11 and held against the body of the user by means of a belt 12. I

As shown, the motor comprises a casing 13, rigidly secured to the board orplate 12, and containing a shaft 14 journaled'in the board 10 and in the casing 13.

To operate the shaft-l4, there is shown a volute spring 15, one end of which is secured to the shaft 14, and the other end to the spring casing 16, revoluble on the shaft 14. To hold the casing 16 from revolution whereby it may act as an anchor for the action of the spring 15 while causing revolution of the shaft 14, the casing 16 may be provided with ratchet teeth 17 and a pawl 18 may be mounted upon the board 10. The shaft 14 is shown as provided with a bevel gear 19, meshing with a second gear 20 journaled in a gear housing 21 and located upon the end 22 of a flexible shaft 23, which shaft may be utilized to operate either hedge trimming, or clipping knives, or a polishing implement or the like.

In order that the flexible shaft 23 may be f y o d s as to extend n y direc- 1923. Serial No. '64o,500.

tion, the housing 21 is shown as provided with an annular flange 24 revolving in a circular way 25, securely fastened to the casing 13. I

To Windthe spring 15 there is shown a chain 26 passing about a sheave 27, forming a portion of the housing of a volute spring 28, which has one end anchoredto vthe housing and the other'end anchored to a sleeve 29 rigid with the housing 13. A stirrup 30 is a washer or like device 33carriedby the chain comes in contact with the edge of an opening 34in the housing 13, through which opening the chain 26'passes.

As shown in Figs.,4 and 5, the device comprises a casing 13', Which maybe secured upon the plate 10, in the manner described in connection with the modification of Figs.

and the shaft 14" 1, 2 and 3. The shaft 14 plate and in the casing, carries the bevel gear 19' thereto. is shown a spring housing 35 having a series of ratchet .teeth 36 extending throughout the width of its is shown as connected at one end to the shaft 14', and at its other .end to the spring housing 35.

To wind the spring 37 there is shown a ring 38 floating about the ratchet teeth and having a sheave 39 formed in its outer periphery about which sheave a flexible element 40 is shown as passed, and having its end 41 connected to the sheave. A helical spring 42 is shown secured to the ring 38 or to the end of the flexible element 40, and having its opposite end secured to the housing, as at 43. The flexible element is shown as passing through an opening in the housing, at 44, and as provided with a stirrup 45, at its free end. An obstruction, such as a washer 46, is secured to the element 40 to prevent the same being retracted into the housing to too great an extent, To prevent the spring 37 from unwinding, one or more pawls 48 are secured to the housing 13' and is journaled inv the rigidly secured periphery. A volutespring 37 the gear 20 to illustrate the fact that by using such difference of size in gears the device driven by the motor may be speeded up in any manner desired by means of properly selected gearing. I

Arranged and carried as illustrated, the device may be readily transported and equipped abovelindicated, be used to trim hedges, or

to clip animals,ror supplied with a polish- ,ing element may be used to polish metal signs, to rub varnished or painted work, or in fact may be used wherever a transportable source of power is desired without the necessity for electrical or pneumatic connections. I

-Minor changes may be made in the phys ical embodiment of the invention without departing from its spirit.

I claim: I

1. A hedge trimmer or the like comprising, in combinatioma plate adapted to be supported upon the person of the user,-a spring motor'carried by said plate, a flexible shaft adapted to be operated by said motor, an implement upon said shaft, and means operable by the foot of storing power for actuation of said motor.

2. A hedge trimmer or the like comprising, in combination, a plate adapted to be secured to the person of the user, a housing upon said plate, a spring motor within said housing,rmanually operated means to store energy in said motor, a beveled gear adapted to be operated by said motor, a flexible shaft provided with a bevel gear meshing which are pressed, by

with a suitable knife may, as

'means restraining the user for With said first named gear, a freel revoluble gear housing in which said s aft is journaled, and means operated by said shaft to utilize the power of said motor.

8. A hedge trimmer or the like comprising, in combination, a plate adapted to be attached to the person of the user, housing secured upon said plate, a shaft journaled in said plate and housing, a spring casing revoluble on said shaft, a V0- lute spring in said casing, the ends of said spring secured to said shaft and casing respectively, a series of ratchet teeth upon the external circumference of said casing, a pawl secured to said housing, coactingwith said ratchet teeth through a. portion of'their width, a ring surrounding said ratchet teeth, pawls carried by said ring coacting with a portion of havingja rabbet for clearance of said'first named pa'wl, a sheave upon thelexternal circumference of said ring, a flexible element coacting with said sheave passing to the exterior of said housing adapted to beby the user, resilient the revolution of said sheave by said flexible element andadapted to return the same to normal position, a bevel gear upon said shaft, a flexible shaft carrying a bevel gear coacting with said first named bevel gear, and means mounted upon said flexible shaft for utilizing the energy stored in said spring. i

4:. Al hed e trimmer or the like comprising, in combination, a plate, a shoulder strap for supporting said plate below the arm pitof a user, a spring motor mounted on said plate, a flexible member for winding said motor and adapted to hang substantially parallel with a leg of the user, means on said member to be engaged by the foot of the user whereby treading movement of the foot-- may store energy in said motor and free walking'movement may be had without disengaging said'foot from said means.

JOHN J. nronnr.

manually operated a motor 

